The Coronavirus pandemic gave a little impact on exports of LNG from West Africa’s four producers. An industry survey showed that LNG exports from Nigeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, and Cameroon were relatively steady compared to the same time frame last year. This contrasts to sharp declines in LNG utilization rates in the US.
Nigeria exported 11 Bcm of LNG in the January-May period of this year, increasing by 4% from the same period in 2019, despite weaker demand and low prices. However, exports in the coming months are likely to decline as the country moves to reduce oil production to meet with its OPEC+ production quota.
Angola’s LNG exports increased 4% year-on-year to 2.7 Bcm of gas equivalent during the same period. Equatorial Guinea exported 1.5 Bcm in January-May, declining by 11% from a year earlier due to falling production from the country’s Alba gas field. Meanwhile, Cameroon’s LNG exports increased to 0.7 Bcm from 0.6 Bcm over the same period.
